Beautiful Hearts
by Kaleidoscream Kat
Summary: When Mina finds Toru binging on ice cream at three in the morning, she sits down for a chat about self-image with the girl desperate to be noticed as the girl who suffered for standing out, and Toru struggles with the knowledge that her cheerful friend holds so much darkness and pain deep inside. The crash of a mirror breaking shows the truth: even the happy ones have their demons.
1. Can't you see?

**A/N:**

 **Yo! Figured I'd give this underappreciated ship some more content. In my book, they are second only to my OTP. ^.^**

 **First off...I did NOT mean it to be so angsty or so long! It was just gonna be cute and fluffy and short, with Mina helping Toru feel better about herself. Then the story ran away in a dark direction. Whoops.**

 **Also, a lot of seemingly happy people hide deep insecurities. That's something I've learned from experience. The way I write Mina and Toru in this fic is based on those experiences.**

 **It gets kinda dark. If you're sensitive to the topic of self-mutilation due to body image, be warned that it's briefly mentioned, but it's not described in detail.**

 **Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

"You're gonna give yourself a bellyache if you eat that all on your own."

Toru jolted violently when Mina Ashido's voice unexpectedly addressed her, the other girl coming to stand in front of her. Toru felt a familiar wave of mixed jealousy and admiration as she looked up at the most noticeable girl in Class 1-A.

Mina was standing with her hands on her hips, pink skin bare beyond short pajama shorts and a tank top. Her hair was more ruffled than usual, making it clear that she'd just woken up and come down to raid the kitchen without even picking up a hairbrush. When she yawned and stretched her arms above her head, her shirt slipped up and her toned stomach made Toru's heart clench at how _visible_ she was, how people saw her actual skin and body instead of only what was outlined by her clothes.

"I came down for chocolate but," Mina grabbed a spoon and plopped down on the floor on the other side of Toru's half-finished pint of strawberry ice cream, "I may as well help you out!"

"Go ahead," Toru invited despite knowing Mina would dig in whether she gave her permission or not. Mina was outgoing, confident, and always upbeat. Not much fazed her. It probably came from being noticed for just existing.

As fond as Toru was of her friend, she couldn't deny the jealousy that reared its ugly head at the sight of her. The girl drew every eye in an instant with her pink skin, brighter pink hair, distinctive eyes, cute horns, and perfect body.

 _She turns heads, and I'm lucky if someone even notices me,_ Toru thought bitterly. Mina didn't mean to hurt her—she'd never purposefully hurt a friend—and Toru felt guilty for harboring so much envy against her.

"So...why're you binge-eating ice cream at three in the morning, Toru?" Mina asked before taking an impossibly large spoonful of softened ice cream. Toru sighed.

"It's...complicated."

"Hey, I may be at the bottom of the class in academics, but I'm not half-bad at listening and giving advice!" Mina replied around her mouthful of ice cream before swallowing it and immediately taking another.

"Once we finish this ice cream," Toru promised, knowing that Mina wasn't going to let it go. She was a tenacious and loyal friend, that much was certain. She brightened everyone's day (even if some of her classmates would never admit it) with her contagious energy and carefree attitude. She loved her friends, gave great hugs, and got along with almost anyone.

Toru just wished she could get over her carefully concealed jealousy of the girl's ability to stand out.

"Fine with me!" Mina chirped, bringing another spoonful to her lips only for some of the ice cream to drip onto her chin. "Ah jeez, I hate when that happens! So unattractive, right?" Mina quickly raised one hand to rub it off before it fell.

 _I can't even see it against her skin..._ Toru realized as her friend licked the ice cream off her hand before immediately scooping out another spoonful.

"So...why did you get out of bed at three in the morning for chocolate?" Toru asked to distract herself.

"Huh? Oh, you'll probably think it's weird, but...I had this really crazy dream where instead of acid, I could make melted chocolate. All different kinds! I guess I started craving it so bad it woke me up and I had to get some..." Mina rubbed the back of her neck.

"It's not that weird," Toru pointed out, hoping her clothes moved enough that Mina could tell she was shrugging. "But why did you decide to eat ice cream instead...?"

"You seemed kinda sad and lonely, and I didn't want you to get sick to your stomach by eating all that, and I love strawberry ice cream anyhow..." Mina explained with a sheepish grin and Toru nodded acknowledgement, turning her attention back to the ice cream and letting the two of them lapse into silence.

It had taken Toru over half an hour to get through the first half of the ice cream pint. With Mina there, the other half was gone in less than five minutes. Toru felt like she'd get a brain freeze just by watching her wolf it down.

"So!" Mina jumped to her feet with far too much energy for this time of night. "I'll take care of this," she picked up the empty ice cream container and the two spoons, "while you go make yourself comfy on the couch, 'kay?"

"Yeah..." Toru started to stand from her position on the kitchen floor, legs screaming in stiff complaint after being crossed under her for so long and making her wince. In a blur of pink, suddenly Mina was grabbing her hand to help her up.

 _How did she know where my hand was? I'm wearing a T-shirt, not something long-sleeved. Without anything giving away how my arm below the shoulder was moving...how? Good intuition? Lucky guess?_

"Go sit down, and I'll be right out!" Mina let go, her bright grin setting Toru's wonderings to rest. Something about that sunny expression left her mind at ease.

As always when Mina's presence made her feel warm and safe, Toru quickly started running over math and English and combat training and anything else that didn't involve her classmate. Dwelling on her and the way she left Toru with the sensation of electricity surging through her whole body was never a good idea.

Just like real combat, Toru almost never faced internal conflict head-on.

Stretching her cramped muscles as she walked, the invisible girl made her way to the couch and plopped down. She could hear Mina throwing the ice cream container in the trash, hand-washing the spoons and putting them back in the drawer, and loudly humming as she did. Then she was coming to sit beside Toru.

"So what happened?" she asked softly, facing her. Toru was vividly reminded that despite her typical demeanor, Mina was more than capable of being calm and serious.

"Someone called me beautiful," Toru blurted out the problem bluntly as Mina's steadying gaze beckoned her to speak her mind. The other girl blinked a few times and cocked her head.

"What's wrong with that?" she inquired, voice soft and bewildered but not judgmental over the situation in the least.

"I'm invisible, Mina. I got called beautiful and I'm _invisible_. How can people call someone they can't see beautiful? Why do people lie to me about that? Don't they know I hate it?" Toru clenched her fists around the hem of her pajama shirt. "No one notices me. They all stare right through me—literally! I want to be seen, I want to be noticed, I want to be beautiful. But I'm not, and I hate it when people remind me of that!"

"People _do_ see you, Toru." Mina's eyes fixed on the point in space where Toru's face was. She was one of very few people who actually made her feel like she was being looked at instead of through. She forced herself to ignore how it felt for those striking eyes to seek her out amidst the seemingly empty air and pretended the shiver that ran down her spine was because she was cold: a routine she'd mastered after going through it so many times.

"They don't. It's impossible. I'm invisible. I can't be seen," she denied. Mina leaned forward, eyes intense and burning. Toru couldn't breathe. Mina was typically hyper and almost childish, but unless the strawberry ice cream on her breath counted, there was nothing immature about her in this moment

"Yes. They can. Maybe not your physical body, but they see you as a person. They see what's inside you, not what you look like. When someone says something like that to you, it means they're talking to you: Toru Hagakure. Not your body. _You_. Trust me, I'd give a fortune to be seen like you are. To be noticed..."

Mina sat back, her eyes a million miles away. She looked wistful and longing, like she was thinking of something she'd never known. It made harsh anger burn in Toru's chest.

 _She's always seen! She's always noticed! What makes her feel like she can sit there and pretend to know how I feel?_ Toru's jealousy finally boiled over.

"You have no idea what it's like when nobody notices you! You stand out so much that even in a huge crowd, you're easy to spot! How can you understand? How can you, a girl who gets everything I've ever wanted as easily as breathing, think you have any right to try and relate to what I'm going through?" she snapped. Mina flinched.

"There are different ways of seeing people, you know, and not all of them are good. I stand out, yeah. I stand out a lot. But do you really think that's such a wonderful thing?" she asked quietly.

"What do you mean?" Toru frowned, confusion overriding her lingering anger.

"You probably can't tell, but I was bullied a lot as a kid. I was easy to make fun of. I mean, look at me! Weird eyes, weird skin, weird hair, weird horns...they called me all sorts of names. They...they took my money, pulled my hair, knocked me down. I had to start working out when I was a _child_ just so I could fight back when the other kids tried to come after me! No one wanted to be my friend because I stood out. They saw what I look like and ran the other way before I could even say a word. Babies cried when they looked at me, sometimes. No one wanted to know what my personality was. They saw me, but they didn't see _me_. I felt like an ugly monster. 'Maybe I really am an alien,' I thought, 'because looking like this, I don't feel like I belong with humans at all.'"

All of Toru's anger and jealousy disappeared as she stared at Mina in shock. She'd always, _always_ thought Mina was beautiful, but she'd never said it. She didn't think she needed to. She thought her friend already knew. She never thought someone like Mina Ashido with her sparkling eyes and her smile that lit up the room could be self-conscious about her appearance.

"You've been hurting all this time? But…you always seem so—"

"Happy?" Mina raised an eyebrow. "Well I usually am, now that I have friends. But when I'm alone, sometimes I remember where I came from, and...well, you know how we've had to have a lot of mirrors replaced because they broke in some way no one can explain? Well, _I'm_ the explanation. If I'm alone and I look in a mirror and I remember, I can't bear it. I punch them, kick them, body slam them, throw them, headbutt them, elbow them, knee them, throw acid at them, pick up something to hit them with...some way or another, I break them so I can't see myself anymore."

"I had no idea..." Toru's trembling hand found Mina's forearm. She ignored the gentle touch and Toru wondered if she could even feel it or if she was too lost in painful memories to notice.

"My horns used to be longer, by the way. I tried to cut them off a few years ago. Well, it wasn't really...cutting. It was...I was decent with my Quirk, so...I tried to melt them off. I was in a fitting room at the mall. One of the employees heard me scream, barged in, and stopped me before I got very far. I never got the courage to try again." Mina blinked away tears. The thought of anyone trying to change their appearance through self-mutilation had always been horrifying to Toru, and the image of her friend feeling so desperate and out of place that she would go to such lengths made sharp pain wrench at her heart.

"You shouldn't try again! You're fine as you are, you're beautiful, don't you dare—!" she tried to protest.

"Sorry, I'm getting a little off-topic," Mina cut her off, the pain on her face swiftly covered by a mask of confidence. "The point was, people see me without seeing _me_ , because my appearance gets in the way of it. But you? All people can see is _you_ —the _real_ you. If they call you beautiful, they mean it. You're lucky that way."

"You think I'm just going to let you redirect my focus after all the things you just told me?" Toru demanded indignantly. Mina's eyes flashed with the desperation of a cornered animal. She wasn't prepared to talk about herself and Toru's forcefulness had clearly done nothing but make her more skittish.

"This isn't about me. I'm here to help you, not get helped by you. I just got a little carried away talking is all!" she insisted frantically. She tried to stand only for Toru to hold her wrist in a vicelike grip, keeping her there. She forced herself to swallow the harshness of how she felt about Mina keeping something so important internalized, about Mina trying to run away from her, about the nagging sense that maybe she wouldn't be quite so upset if this was anyone else.

"No. Talk to me. Please..." Toru pleaded softly. There was a heavy pause before Mina finally relaxed, letting out a long breath and slumping against the couch.

"Fine. What do you want to talk about, exactly?" she asked. Toru considered for a moment. She wanted to help, not pry into volatile emotions. She took a breath.

"When...when people in our class tease you or call you mean names about your appearance...are you...okay?"

"What, you mean people joking about me being an alien, Bakugo calling me Raccoon Eyes, that stuff?" Mina asked.

"Yes. You seem alright with it, but...are you really?" Toru asked, her grip shifting to Mina's hand.

"I...I know they have no idea how deep it cuts, so I'm not upset with them or anything. But yeah, it stings. Makes my chest hurt. Makes me want to cry and scream and pull out my hair and melt off my ears, when I'm feeling vulnerable. When I don't feel vulnerable, I just feel sick to my stomach. But I've been hiding it when my feelings get hurt my whole life, so I'm pretty good at it by now. That way, for better or for worse, no one knows it if they're getting to me."

Toru was glad Mina couldn't see the horrified expression on her face at that confession. She squeezed her hand, noticing how her whole palm, from the base of her wrist to the pads of her fingers, was one even callous due to years of exposure to acid.

"Just ask them to stop. Explain why."

"No. I'm the cheerful one. I'm the optimist, the upbeat friend, the loud girl, the lighthearted classmate. Insults roll off me like water off a poncho. I'm not gonna crush that image with my stupid past, stupid issues, and stupid depression," Mina refused.

 _Depression. She actually recognizes how she feels as depression, but she's never spoken up about it when people inadvertently hurt her? If this keeps up…one day she might…_ Toru quickly locked the worst-case paranoia away. She wasn't going to think about that. She wouldn't be able to keep herself together if she thought about it, and she couldn't let herself fall apart.

"Fine— _I'll_ tell them to knock it off! You're one of my best friends, and I'm not gonna let you keep getting hurt, especially when it's by friends who don't even know they're hurting you because you won't talk about your problems," she asserted.

"Toru, you don't have to do that, okay? Just let it go. Don't make a big deal about this. I'm managing," Mina told her, looking away self-consciously.

"'Managing' isn't good enough. 'Managing' only gets you so far before you snap. It's nonnegotiable that I'm going to tell them to stop. Just let me help you," Toru said firmly. "Does anybody else know about this? Have you talked to _anyone_ here about it?"

Mina shook her head and Toru reached over to harshly pinch her upper arm.

"Ouch! What was that for?" Mina yelped, rubbing the sore spot with an indignant pout as she turned her eyes back to Toru.

"I understand not talking to your usual crowd, but Yaomomo's basically the class mom, always wanting to take care of us. And Tsuyu-chan's a good listener too! Her advice is blunt but it works really well. Or you could talk to Aizawa-sensei, even! He's our homeroom teacher; keeping us safe, even from ourselves, is kind of part of his job!" Toru scolded.

"It's hard to talk about, Toru! I don't even understand why I'm telling _you_ about it! It just feels like I...need you to know. And that's terrifying." Mina hugged herself for comfort.

"You need me to know? Why?" Toru wondered aloud, ignoring the way her pulse sped up.

"I don't know. I don't know! It's like...I trust you? But I trust almost everybody in our class, so that's not it? Argh!" Mina tugged at her own hair in frustration. "I want you to understand me, okay? Because we're kinda the same. I want you to know me and I want to know you, and it's really confusing and I don't know for sure what it is! That's all I can really say."

Toru's face burned. She could feel a hidden meaning in those words but knew better than to think too much about what it could be. She'd wandered into that dangerous territory too many times.

"Okay," she accepted.

"Okay...?" Mina blinked in confusion.

"I'll try to understand you. But I want you to understand me too, so please try?" Toru clarified hesitantly.

"Well duh. Stuff like this has gotta go both ways, y'know!" Mina laughed. It was a genuine laugh and Toru's heart fluttered with the relief at the sound.

"So…what made you want to be a hero?" she asked. "I never really ask anybody about that since it's personal, but...I feel like after all this, I should ask you."

"I said how I always got bullied, remember? I figured that if I became a hero, I'd never get bullied again. And maybe being a hero would let me help other kids who get bullied for things they can't do anything about. You always see pro heroes beating up bad guys and rescuing civilians who are in physical danger. I want to be the hero who does all that but goes the extra step and campaigns for good things to help people who are in a different kind of danger. Programs to stop bullying in schools from daycare to university. Securities to make sure Quirkless people don't fell like they're worth less than people with Quirks. Free mental health counseling for anyone who needs it. Being a top hero means people would have to listen to me about it all! I want to help people like me, and this is how I'm choosing to do it," Mina declared, eyes determined and shining.

"That's...incredible," Toru commented softly.

"Right?" Mina grinned. "Anyhow, what about you? Why'd you decide to be a hero?"

"Me?" Toru fidgeted awkwardly. "I...I think at first, a lot of it was to stand out. Being a pro hero means people would notice me, and I've always wanted that. But after coming to UA, meeting everyone, and going through all the recent attacks and events...it's more than that now."

"How so?" Mina cocked her head.

"I can't do a lot on my own with a Quirk like this. It's not very good for outright battles and it doesn't help with rescue efforts after disasters. But I can give support. While someone's fighting, I can sneak around to free hostages, set traps, get information, and figure out weaknesses. I'm invisible, so I can't be seen, and people can't really stop me if they don't realize I'm there. I can stop people from getting hurt while the villains fight the more combat-apt pros. I can keep pro heroes from getting hurt and minimize damage by covertly undermining the villains. I decided that's way more important than standing out."

"Well after I become a bigtime pro, I'll make sure to take you on as my partner," Mina declared, grinning.

"I'll hold you to that," Toru replied with a grin of her own. She was glad Mina was feeling better and realized she herself was upbeat now as well.

 _Hearing her talk about how she was treated for standing out and how much it damaged and affected her...I guess that made me appreciate what I have a little more. And maybe hearing how much my invisibility can hurt me helped her the same way._ _Besides, it's usually helpful to vent about these things instead of bottling them up._

Toru yawned and slumped against Mina's side, feeling emotionally drained. She wasn't used to having heavy conversations with people. Mina didn't seem to mind, even draping an arm over her shoulders and resting her cheek against the top of Toru's head. There was a pause, and Toru felt like she was close to falling asleep when Mina spoke again.

"Hey...Toru? There's s-something else I want to tell you. I've told you a lot of personal stuff and you're still here. I...hope this one doesn't make you run away..." she whispered, and Toru reluctantly sat up to look at her.

"I'm not going anywhere," she promised. Mina took a deep breath, eyes flickering between Toru's (Toru was amazed at Mina's uncanny ability to apparently guess where every part of her was even with her invisibility) and the floor.

"Another reason I got bullied was I...I realized...I, um...I realized...I'm pan," she confessed. She looked so terrified that Toru wanted to laugh and hug her at the same time. She refrained from both urges and just brushed away the silent tears that were slowly rolling down Mina's cheeks.

"And you thought I'd judge you for that? Mina, I'm bi. One of the girls in our class is a useless lesbian and her crush is a barely functional bi who likes her back. Not to mention anyone who's better at hiding it...I'm pretty sure we have a lot of those in 1-A."

"So...I wasn't imagining and Kyoka and Yaomomo's ridiculously obvious pining and cluelessness?" Mina realized.

"Nope!" Toru confirmed.

"But...I mean...I never thought you could be bi. You've never done anything to imply you like girls..." Mina said.

"Sometimes I'm glad I'm invisible. No one can tell when I'm eyeing someone up," Toru countered with a light giggle.

"Oh."

"And Mina? This is embarrassing to admit, but queer girl to queer girl...you're really hot, and most of the time, I totally wouldn't object to platonically making out with you."

Mina's face flushed, the crimson blush blending with her pink skin to create a soft, reddish-magenta hue. Her mouth hung open, her eyes widened, and she let out a strangled squeak.

"Sorry, was that weird?" Toru shifted nervously. The impulsive confession had slipped out without her consent and she was terrified she'd be judged for it, but Mina shook her head vigorously.

"No! No, not at all! I'm just surprised. And embarrassed. But not a _bad_ embarrassed!" she denied frantically. Toru giggled lightly, ignoring the butterflies in her stomach and the warmth in her chest. "Hey, do you think you're strong enough to carry me back to my room? 'Cause I'm kinda about to go into an ice cream coma, and my stomach kinda hurts…" Mina flopped over on the couch with a huff, rolling onto her back.

"That's what you get for eating all that ice cream so fast," Toru chided. "But no, I can't carry you."

"Mmf…" Mina closed her eyes. "Eh, the couch is comfy enough…but kinda cold…"

"Do you want me to find a blanket?" Toru offered.

"You're warmer than a blanket. And you were already falling asleep on me earlier, right?" Mina opened one eye and grinned. Toru stuttered for a second, then sighed and lay down on top of her friend, curling up and tucking her head under Mina's chin.

"Warm enough for you?" she asked dryly.

"Mmhm, just perfect." Mina wrapped both arms around her waist, ruining Toru's plan to stealthily retreat to her room once the other girl was asleep. "G'night…"

"Yeah…goodnight…" Toru replied faintly. She felt lightheaded and giddy, her heart was racing faster than ever, and the even rise and fall of Mina's chest was almost as lulling as the steady heartbeat she could hear as her ear pressed against the exposed pink skin just above it.

 _It doesn't mean anything. It can't mean anything. I can't feel that way. I don't feel that way._

But the warmth seeping through her body as she fell into the most peaceful sleep she'd had since moving to the dorms was steadily chipping away at her denial, and she didn't know how much longer she could keep pretending her feelings for Mina Ashido didn't exist.

* * *

Being woken up before dawn by someone shaking her shoulder was bad enough on its own, but when Toru made sense of the situation, she realized that it was a complete disaster.

She was still lying on top of Mina, who was still asleep. Mina's arms were still around her waist. They were still on the couch in plain view of anyone who happened to come into the common area. Someone had clearly caught them and probably misinterpreted, and now there would probably be rumors and teasing. Toru sharply sat up, dislodging Mina's arms in the process. The loss of warmth made the other girl groan and open her eyes.

"Both of you, please explain yourselves," Momo's voice greeted them, calm and nonjudgmental. Mina, still half-asleep, shot a lopsided grin at the deputy class representative.

"Late-night ice cream comas," she explained. Momo blinked at her, then sighed.

"Hagakure-san, please explain yourself and Ashido-san in a way that actually makes sense," she requested. "And sit up before someone else sees you and makes assumptions!"

"Someone else?" Toru squeaked, scrambling off of Mina. She felt a soft blanket fall from her shoulders, which Momo picked up and folded.

"Yes. I came downstairs for a glass of water last night and saw you two asleep together. You looked peaceful so I didn't want to wake you, but you were shivering a bit so I made you a blanket. I also set an alarm so I would be able to come down and keep anyone from seeing you. We have enough class drama without people spreading gossip about the two of you," she explained calmly.

"Thanks Yaomomo…you're a lifesaver," Mina sighed with relief, sitting up. "The whole story is basically that Toru and I worked out some issues, ate too much ice cream, and were too tired to go back to our rooms."

"No, that's not the full story," Toru corrected her. "Of everyone in the class, I think Yaomomo's the best one we could talk to. She's authoritative, so people listen to her, and she doesn't judge."

"Come up to my room," Momo invited, her formal tone relaxing into something softer as she recognized that her friends had something at least mildly distressing on their minds. "Whatever's going on, I'm sure the three of us can sort it out."

* * *

Toru and Mina were exempt from the Class 1-A meeting called by Momo that afternoon, waiting in Mina's dorm while the situation was explained to the others in the common room, but Toru heard what happened. She heard accounts of a glare more terrifying than Aizawa's, long explanations of why people's teasing behavior about Mina's appearance needed to stop regardless of how harmlessly it was intended (as well as exactly what would happen to anyone who didn't heed her warning), and Katsuki getting hit in the face with a freshly created pillow when he tried to dismiss the topic. Apparently Momo took bullying, self-confidence, and depression very seriously, though she consistently changed the subject when anyone tried to ask why it seemed so personal to her. Regardless, Toru was glad that she'd asked Momo to talk to everyone; besides the teachers, not many people other than their deputy class rep could make the entirety of 1-A shut up and listen.

(Minoru Mineta had evidently suffered from rhythmic convulsions when he tried to make a perverted comment about Mina's body, and afterwards coincidentally kept a wary eye on Kyoka's jacks whenever he was unable to fully avoid her presence.)

Over the next several days, Toru noticed the class making a conscious effort to not make any jokes or comments about Mina's physical features unless they were undoubtedly positive and couldn't be misconstrued. Katsuki stopped calling her Raccoon Eyes and seemed to be thinking hard about how to give her a mildly insulting nickname without referencing her appearance. No one tolerated comments from outsiders either.

Mina acted the same as always: happy, hyper, and enthusiastic. Toru couldn't tell if it was emotional armor or not, but if it was, it was too flawless to see through. She told Mina to come to her if she felt herself slipping, no matter what time it was or what she was doing, and her friend agreed eagerly. Everything was fine…

…Until it wasn't.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Yaomomo saves the day. XD**

 **Anyhow, there ends the first half. The second half is coming soon! Comments are always appreciated! Thanks for reading!**


	2. You're beautiful

**A/N:**

 **And here is the second half! Chalk full of angst, fluff, and Toru's aggressively active denial fading away. Hope you enjoy it!**

* * *

The first thing Toru did when she opened her eyes was look at the clock, which read 2:09 AM. It was a school night, which meant she and most of her class had gone to bed early so they'd get a full eight hours of sleep to prepare them for their academic and physical classes. She groaned and rolled over to bury her face in her pillow, hoping to fall back asleep. As soon as she began to drift off, though, she remembered exactly what she'd been dreaming about and realized there was no way she'd manage to go back to sleep on her own anytime soon. Her mind was too worked-up by the pure madness she'd experienced in her dream.

 _If Denki Kaminari ever bakes cookies for the class, I'm going to scream._

With a heavy sigh, Toru rolled out of bed and stretched. Maybe going for a walk would help her relax enough to go back to sleep. She stepped out of her room and closed the door as quietly as she could so she wouldn't disturb anyone, especially since the other resident in this floor's girls' section had a hearing Quirk. She decided that she'd walk slowly and leisurely through the halls on the girls' side of the dorm, and if she was still too worked-up to sleep by the time she reached the fifth floor, she might knock on Momo's door and ask if she knew how to make sleep aids.

The night was quiet. Unnaturally so. There was usually music of some sort coming from Kyoka's bedroom (Toru still couldn't figure out when it was from the radio, when it was from an MP3 player or laptop, or when it was Kyoka herself) no matter what hour it was, but even when the invisible girl stepped right up to the door to listen, it was silent. An ominous chill crept up her spine, but she didn't feel endangered. She just felt suspended, like the world around her was holding its breath, waiting for the perfect moment to blow out her plans for a relaxing stroll like a birthday candle.

Setting the sense of dread aside, Toru took the stairs up to the next floor of girls' dorms: the fourth floor, where Ochaco and Mina lived at opposite ends of the hall. She came out of the stairwell closer to Ochaco's and headed down to the other end. With every step she took, she felt cold dread drip into a growing pool in her stomach.

 _Why am I so paranoid? Because of that crazy dream? Because it's one of those nights when Kyoka doesn't have music on? This is stupid. Nothing's wrong. I should just go straight to Yaomomo's dorm and hope she answers the door. And that she can make something to help me sleep. I'm being irrational by listening to this stupid sense of foreboding!_

Toru gave her head a quick shake and harshly patted her cheeks, expelling as much worry as she could. She passed Mina's room, turned around, and went back toward the stairwell from which she'd come, only to stop dead in her tracks when she heard a muffled _CRASH!_ from behind her. She whipped around and didn't think, bolting straight to Mina's dorm, which she knew was the origin of the sound. The door was unlocked and she flung it open.

"Mina! Are you—?" Toru cut off abruptly as she took in the scene before her.

Mina was standing before the frame of a full-length mirror. A good portion of the glass was in shards on the floor, and Mina's clenched right fist was dripping blood. Her body was shaking and sobs ripped themselves from her throat as she stared into the cracked mirror remnants left in the frame with bloodshot eyes. She clearly hadn't noticed Toru's entrance despite the clamor she'd made, or the door when it swung closed to cut off any observers from this moment of vulnerability.

"Why...? Why can't I be...?" Mina choked out to the distorted image of her face. Toru's chest twisted with secondhand emotional pain at the torment in Mina's voice. "I...I just want to be...beautiful. Is that too much to ask? To be normal? To not stand out?"

Toru wanted to speak up, but she was frozen. She couldn't move a muscle, couldn't make a sound. Mina's nails dug into her own arms, weak acid bubbling from her fingertips to leave her skin raw but not dissolve it. She glared into her reflection, leaned back a bit...

Mina's face hit the mirror with a crash. The pile of glass shards already on the floor was nearly doubled. Some were stuck in her skin, trickles of blood joining the streaks of tears running down her face. Toru shot across the room, fear making her far faster than she ever thought she could be, and engulfed Mina in a hug. Her friend slumped against her like she couldn't support herself anymore.

There was so much Toru wanted to say. "Why didn't you come talk to me when you started slipping?" "I've told you you're beautiful, why won't you believe me?" "You can't do this to yourself!"

"Come on...let's get you cleaned up," she said instead. She helped Mina to the bathroom, sat her down on the lidded toilet, and leaned down to find and remove the glass. Once she was sure it was gone, she dampened a washcloth.

"Toru..." Mina whispered weakly. "I..."

"This might sting a little," Toru cautioned. "We'll talk after these cuts are taken care of, okay?"

Mina opened her mouth, then closed it and just nodded. Toru sighed and started gently cleaning Mina's face and hand, flinching every time her friend did while erasing all the blood. The cuts were thankfully shallow, and the bleeding stopped before Toru could even look for bandages. They were already healing; Mina's Quirk meant her skin was naturally durable, and it could repair damage much more easily and swiftly than most people's.

"There, all clean. You should probably lie down." Toru helped Mina to her feet, then slowly guided her to the bed and coaxed her down to lie atop it.

"Sorry...you had to see that..." Mina mumbled.

"What the hell, Mina?" Toru clenched her fists, shaking. " _That's_ what you're apologizing for? Not 'Sorry I didn't come talk to you like you told me to do if I started slipping' or 'Sorry I think you're lying when you say I'm beautiful' or—!"

"Toru," Mina interrupted. "Please. Don't...don't yell at me. It only makes me feel worse."

Toru let out a slow breath, trying to calm down. She sat on the side of the bed and ran her fingers through Mina's short hair.

"Sorry. I'm not mad at you. I'm just afraid. When I came in and saw you like that...it was like coming face-to-face with a villain: terrifying. You were hurting and I…I didn't know how far you'd go."

"I've got too much to look forward to and enjoy now. I'm not suicidal," Mina promised. Toru heard the unspoken _anymore_ and shifted to sit cross-legged behind Mina, pulling her head into her lap. After a moment, Mina rolled to wrap her arms around her waist, clutching the back of her shirt and starting to openly cry.

"It's alright," Toru promised gently, rubbing Mina's back as she sobbed and hiccupped into her stomach. Usually, she didn't like it when people went near her stomach. She was unbearably ticklish, liable to embarrass herself at any touch.

 _But she really needs this right now. Besides...it's always different when it's Mina._

Toru felt her thoughts beginning to stray toward something she still wasn't ready to confront and forced them away. Mina was broken right now. This wasn't the time.

"I'm sorry you feel like this, Mina...you don't deserve all the abuse you've gone through. You _are_ beautiful. And more than that, you're _amazing_. The people who judge you without even knowing you are stupid," Toru told her firmly.

Mina clutched her even tighter and Toru ruffled her hair with one hand, wrapping her other arm around her shoulders to hold her closer. Slowly, Mina's sobs eased and her body stilled. She sniffled and nuzzled farther into Toru's body.

"You...really think so...?" she asked weakly, voice muffled and barely understandable. Toru smiled.

"You're kind, strong, supportive, devoted, loyal...you're incredible, Mina Ashido. Don't let anyone—including yourself—tell you otherwise."

After another minute or two, Mina let go of Toru's waist and rolled onto her back, tilting her head back to fix her eyes right on Toru's face with a gaze so intense and focused that Toru almost forgot Mina couldn't actually see her. Her horns gently prodded Toru's stomach and she bit back a reflexive giggle.

"Y'know...sometimes I imagine I can see your face," Mina confessed softly, her smile still managing to be beautiful despite the fact that she looked like a mess from crying so hard.

"What's it look like?" Toru asked curiously, ignoring the way her heart was racing in her chest. Mina hesitated, hands nervously fiddling with her own pajamas.

"I've...got a sketchbook under my pillow. It's super private and no one even knows about it. Get it for me please?" she requested, her demeanor oddly shy. Toru leaned back and twisted her upper body, retrieving the sketchbook without shifting her legs so she wouldn't dissuade Mina from keeping her head in her lap. She plopped the desired item down on her friend's belly. "Thanks."

"Why did you want it though?" Toru's question made Mina blush and open the sketchbook over her own face to hide.

"Why d'ya think, Toru? It's 'cause I drew what I imagine you look like..." she grumbled. Toru's face burned.

"Oh..." she acknowledged faintly. Mina flipped through pages, then shoved the book up.

"Here. Look. That's you."

Toru blinked and took the sketchbook, then nearly dropped it as she stared at the girl on the page.

She was fair-skinned, wearing the UA school uniform and with the same body proportions as Toru herself. Her facial features were soft but elegant, with a hint of childlike innocence. Light freckles dusted the bridge of her nose, and she was smiling sweetly. Wide eyes, a beautiful shade of lilac, practically glowed. Her hair was a fiery auburn, tied against her head in a cute bun.

"This is...me...?" Toru breathed in awe at the sketch, which was so realistic and detailed that it could almost be mistaken for a photograph.

"It's what I imagine you look like, yeah..." Mina mumbled. Toru set the sketchbook aside and grabbed Mina's hands.

"Then if _you_ say I'm beautiful, I guess I have to agree. Because according to that, I am."

Mina's blush deepened as she stuttered out a quick "It's no big deal," before squeezing Toru's hands.

"No, it means a lot to me that you've even _imagined_ what I might look like. I can't believe you actually drew it and showed me. I can't believe you'd put so much time and effort into, well, _me_. Really..." Toru let go of one of Mina's hands to gently caress her face. "Um, do you mind if I make a copy for myself?"

"For...yourself?" Mina's brow furrowed.

"Yeah. Y'know, like...to hang it up in my room?" Toru clarified. Mina blushed violently.

"H-hang it up?" she yelped.

"Is that...weird?" Toru asked hesitantly.

"Well, no, not really..." Mina fidgeted. "I'm just...surprised you'd want to."

"Of course I do! As far as I'm concerned, when someone wonders what I'd look like if I wasn't invisible, I'll show them that drawing and tell them it's me," Toru told her.

"Aw jeez, Toru...you're making me blush!" Mina whined. She covered her face with both hands, but not before Toru saw the wide grin spreading across her face.

 _She's feeling better. That's good._ Toru couldn't help but break into a grin of her own. _But..._

"Hey, why don't we have a sleepover?" she suggested. That way she'd be able to make sure Mina didn't relapse. Her friend peered up at her again.

"A sleepover...?"

"Yeah! You know, movies and pillow fights and junk food until we can't stay awake anymore? It'll be fun!"

"Sure!" Mina agreed, sitting up. Toru told herself she wasn't disappointed by the loss of her friend's physical closeness. "I've got a bunch of DVDs in here, and a stash of potato chips."

"So that's why the bags of potato chips the everyone buys tend to mysteriously vanish…" Toru mused.

"Don't tell anyone!" Mina begged, eyes wide.

"I won't," Toru promised with a chuckle. Mina stood and Toru remembered the broken mirror, quickly scrambling to her feet as well and grabbing Mina's arm. "Wait!"

"What's wrong?" Mina turned to her and cocked her head.

"Go wait on the bed, alright? Wait there until I tell you it's okay to get up," Toru ordered softly.

"Why?" Mina frowned.

"Because I need to clean up that glass and I don't want you anywhere near it."

Toru's voice was firm. Mina clearly realized she wouldn't back down, so she returned to the bed. She huffed as she plopped down on it and crossed her arms, pouting at her friend. Toru's thoughts about how cute that was started to stray into the irrational temptation to go cuddle Mina and shook them off. It was because Mina had been so upset earlier and she felt protective, that was all. It was an instinct to keep her friend safe and nothing more.

Satisfied with that justification, Toru found a brush and dustpan and knelt by the glass, carefully collecting every fallen shard. The ones still left in the mirror's frame looked ready to fall so she tapped the sides of it and gently shook it, bringing down the remaining glass and collecting it as well.

"Alright, start getting those DVDs and snacks together!" she chirped, turning back to Mina. The other girl gave an exaggerated sigh of relief and stood.

"Thank you, oh great collector of glass," she snarked. Toru didn't dignify that with a response, instead going to the bathroom trash can and dumping the sharp fragments into it. After a moment, she scoured Mina's room for a bath towel and duct tape. When she managed to find both, she returned to the bathroom, aware of Mina's knowing eyes following her.

 _Can't be too careful…_ Toru thought as she taped the bath towel to the wall so it covered the mirror. She left the bottom half unsecured though; that way the mirror was still accessible but not visible unless Mina genuinely wanted to see it.

"Toru! If you're done Mina-proofing the bathroom, come and lie down so we can start watching these movies!" Mina called. Toru jolted and hurried out, back to the bed. Mina had a playful spark in her eye and a matching smirk on her face, but Toru also saw the gratitude in her expression.

"Okay, move over," she said, giving Mina's shoulder a gentle nudge. Her friend complied, just enough that Toru could slip under the sheets without risk of falling off the bed. Mina had propped up a small mountain of pillows so they could lean back comfortably but still see the laptop that she placed so it bridged their thighs. Toru leaned into Mina, resting her head against her shoulder and feeling an arm wrap around her to hold her closer.

"I hope you like romcoms," Mina commented, "because other than a couple action flicks, that's what all these movies are."

"As long as they're not horror movies, I'm fine with it," Toru promised with a smile. Mina set a bowl of chips in Toru's lap and two bottles of water on her own.

"Don't worry, they're not," Mina assured her, reaching over with her free arm to press play. Toru couldn't help but snuggle into her a little more—just for the sake of mutual comfort after Mina's earlier breakdown, that was all.

Her heart pounded in her chest anyway.

* * *

Two movies in, Toru noticed that Mina kept half-dozing off and suggested that they get some sleep, to which her friend immediately agreed. The pair cleared off the bed, reduced the pillow pile to one layer, and settled in under the sheets. Toru would have kept some space between them to respect Mina's personal space but found herself pulled into a warm embrace by two strong arms wrapping around her. She pressed closer and rested her forehead against her friend's, resting an arm over her waist. It was warm, safe, comforting. It felt _right._

 _It's just because of the emotions. That's all. We're emotional and cuddling is a good way to deal with that. It's something friends do! Because we're friends, and I see her as a close friend. Yeah, this is friendly. Just friendly. Nothing but friendly and totally platonic feelings here!_

"Toru..." Mina caught her attention.

"Hm?" Toru met her eyes.

"Thanks. For...y'know...taking care of me? For helping me feel better earlier. For this sleepover, which I know you suggested at least partially to keep an eye on me so I wouldn't relapse. You didn't...you didn't have to do any of it," she replied.

"No, I didn't," Toru agreed. "But I wanted to."

"I know." Mina's smile was softer than Toru had ever seen it, and she fought the butterflies that dragged her heart into her throat and threatened to expose what she'd been stifling for so long.

 _It's the perfect time!_ her treacherous thoughts urged. _You're having a heart-to-heart, cuddled up under the sheets, and being sugary sweet with each other! She's right there! Say it! Say it, say it,_ say it _, Toru! You're having a moment with her! Tell her!_

Toru locked the impulse away. Mina had broken down earlier. Toru couldn't risk causing her any emotional distress by saying stupid things, especially when they _weren't true_. She just snuggled even closer and closed her eyes.

"You can always come to me, Mina. No matter when it is, no matter what I'm doing or where I am—I'll always make time for you."

* * *

After that night, Toru found her dreams following a recurring pattern: Mina was always there, and Toru was always visible. She always looked exactly like Mina's sketch. The two of them always spent the entire dream together. Every morning, Toru woke up with the same silly smile on her face. Over the course of nearly two weeks, the vivid dreams came to her and left her heart pounding.

The first night had been simple: she and Mina were sitting in Toru's room, studying for a test. The second, they'd gone out to a carnival and Mina won her a huge, soft, fluffy, stuffed cat. On the third night it had been a training session, the two of them sparring side-by-side against Ectoplasm's clones. Three casual dreams about a friend.

The fourth night was when it changed.

That night, they were sharing a cup of hot chocolate on a park bench in winter, huddled together and admiring the serenity of the snow that covered the ground. The next night, they were playing on the beach, and Toru couldn't take her eyes off of Mina's windswept hair and the way the seafoam glinted in rainbow hues against her pink skin. The sixth dream had them watching a horror movie in bed, and Mina wasn't afraid but Toru was shaking, so Mina held her close and kissed the top of her head, promising to always keep her safe. The dreams weren't about Toru and her friend—they were "what if" dreams where Mina was Toru's girlfriend, or at least getting close to it.

In the seventh dream, Mina and Toru were on a dinner date, with Mina insisting on paying for everything, sharing a bowl of strawberry ice cream with her, and holding her hand on the walk back to the UA dorms. Then came the eighth dream: Mina was tickling her sides to make her giggle and squirm, leaving butterfly kisses all over her face and neck, the homework they'd been trying to do lying abandoned nearby as they spent all evening in their own world where nothing mattered except each other. For the ninth dream, Mina was her date to a formal dance, so beautiful in her long dress that Toru couldn't breathe, and they spent the whole night together on the dance floor. The tenth dream was about watching cherry blossoms, with Mina and Toru lying on their backs on a picnic blanket with fingers interlocked and talking about the future— _their_ future, one they planned to build _together_. Eleven took place in bed, the two of them cuddling, trading soft kisses everywhere from foreheads to collarbones, and whispering sweet nothings until they fell asleep. There was nothing platonic about Toru's dreams anymore.

The twelfth night was the clincher. When Toru opened her eyes in the morning, she couldn't ignore her feelings anymore. Not when she'd just dreamed of white dresses and flower petals and promises of forever. She wanted to cry. Mina was one of her best friends, but the feelings she'd been trying desperately to reject could no longer be denied.

 _I have a crush on Mina,_ she finally acknowledged what she'd known for so long, sitting up in bed. She felt a single tear roll down her cheek. _Why did this have to happen? If she finds out, our friendship will be over! I have to keep it hidden…_

 _No one can know._

* * *

All day, Toru suffered the consequences of accepting her feelings. Aizawa noticed her daydreaming instead of paying attention even though he couldn't see her face. Present Mic had to use his Quirk to get her attention when he asked her to come up and translate a sentence to English on the board. Mina kept looking at her, and Toru wondered if the pink-haired girl could feel her staring. During their practical lessons, it was even worse.

"Hagakure!" Shoto shouted, a wall of ice blocking a robot she hadn't even noticed was coming to attack her. "I don't know why your head's been in the clouds today, but get ahold of yourself or you'll end up in the infirmary!"

"Toru-chan! Kero!" Tsuyu's tongue yanked her out of the way of another robot just a minute or two later. "Are you alright? You've been distracted all day, and that's not like you at all. Did something happen?"

"Hagakure-san!" Izuku caught her and pulled her to safety when she nearly fell off the roof of a building in the next training exercise. "Is something wrong? You're acting weird…"

Toru promised she was fine every time someone asked, though she knew they didn't believe her. She noticed Mina's eyes becoming more and more worried with each mistake she made. She prayed to whatever deities might be watching that her crush was still a secret.

In the locker room, Toru changed with the others like she always did so they wouldn't be even more suspicious that something had happened that she was keeping a secret, but she kept her eyes on the walls, on the floor, on the lockers, on anything that wasn't Mina. The other girls couldn't see her, so they didn't notice.

"Toru." Mina caught her wrist in the hall after they'd all changed. "I need to talk to you."

"About what?" Toru asked, barely hiding her panic. Mina shook her head.

"Not here. It's private. I don't want strangers overhearing…" she replied softly. Her voice was trembling and Toru realized that Mina wanting a private conversation with her could very well be about a potential relapse instead of confronting her admirer. She felt a pang of guilt at her own self-centeredness. If it was about Toru's crush on her, Mina wouldn't have that nervous, almost fearful tremor in her voice.

"Alright. Come to my dorm at about six, okay?" Toru requested. "Can it wait that long?"

"Yeah. That's fine," Mina agreed. "I'll see you then."

* * *

Toru took a few deep breaths, staring at the clock. It was just past six. Mina would be here any second. She looked around again, making sure she'd managed to cover every reflective surface, just in case. She'd just finished her survey and nodded satisfaction when the tentative knocking landed against her door. Toru hurried to answer.

"Um, hey…" Mina greeted her with a shaky smile, fidgeting.

"Come in," Toru invited, stepping aside. Mina stepped into the dorm and Toru closed the door, then grabbed an unopened bottle of water from a case on the floor. "Do you want one?" she offered.

"No, no. I'm fine," Mina declined.

"Alright. So...what did you want to talk about?" Toru asked, sitting on her bed. Her friend stayed standing.

"I...well..." Mina shuffled her feet and stared at the floor, then started darting her gaze around the room to anything except the invisible girl on the bed.

"Mina." Toru opened her water. "Just talk to me. You know I won't judge you."

"Okay. Okay. I, um..." Mina took a breath. "That one time. On the couch. When we first talked about my issues. You said something about...being okay with platonically making out with me?"

 _Wait, what? Where is she going with this? I didn't even know she remembered I said that! I'm so glad she can't see how much I'm blushing…wait, did she figure it out after all? Does she know I like her? Is this…is she going to reject me? Say we can't be friends anymore? Does my crush on her make her uncomfortable? Is that why she seemed so nervous when she asked to talk? Please, no…that can't be happening…please…!_

 _Calm down, Toru, she hasn't even said anything about that! Just breathe. Don't panic. Let her talk. Don't jump to conclusions,_ Toru reasoned with her own panicked thoughts.

"Mmhm. And?" Her mouth and throat were dry so she raised her water bottle to her lips, trying to hide her fear.

"Well...wh-what if...I...maybe...wanttodoitbutnotplatonically?" Mina rushed the words out but Toru still heard them, promptly choking on her water and barely managing to not spill any. "Sorry! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you! I'll go!"

"No!" Toru managed to get out through her coughs, lunging to grab Mina's forearm. Her still-open water bottle hit the floor but she couldn't bring herself to care about the mess. "Hang on...can't breathe..."

"Okay," Mina agreed weakly. Toru pulled her to the bed and settled herself in the middle of it with her back facing her pillows, tugging Mina's arm until she was sitting right in front of her on the sheets. She didn't let go of her, worried the other girl would bolt if given the chance.

"Mina," Toru began when she stopped coughing, "I'm not upset about that, so relax."

"So you're not...like...freaked-out?" Mina mumbled.

"Of course I'm not!" Toru denied firmly. "You've got a crush on me, right?"

"Y...yeah..." Mina ducked her head as though fearing reprimand and Toru slid her grasp down to take her hand.

"Well what kind of messed-up hypocrite would I be if I got freaked out by my own crush crushing on me?" she teased gently. Mina's head snapped up, eyes wide and mouth hanging open.

"B...b-but...I thought...you and Ojiro...?" Mina stammered. Toru giggled lightly.

"I had a crush on him at first, yeah. But then...I don't know when it happened, but eventually I realized you were the one I was always watching, always looking for, always hoping would be safe more than anyone else. I've tried so, so hard to deny it, but after we had that heart-to-heart on the couch, my denial couldn't hold up and I started to accept it. This morning, I finally gave in to what I've known for a long time. That's why I've been distracted all day: I came to terms with the truth of how I feel about you. I like you, Mina. A lot. As way more than a friend."

There was a long silence as Mina's mouth hung limply open in shock, her wide eyes finding Toru's in that thrilling way they always did. Slowly, she recovered, an expression of enthusiastic bliss spreading across her face.

"Yay! I've got a girlfriend now!" Her grin was bright enough to rival the sun as she lunged forward and tackled Toru in a hug that knocked her flat on her back on the bed.

"Yeah, you definitely do!" Toru ruffled her hair affectionately and Mina found the crook of her neck to nuzzle into. Toru hesitated as a thought crossed her mind, unsure of whether to voice it or not. "So, that not-platonic makeout you mentioned...?" she prompted when she decided to speak up about it.

"Oh yeah, totally!" Mina pushed herself up with her arms, a devious spark in her eyes. She slid one hand up Toru's neck to cup her cheek, then did the same with her other hand, managing to keep herself in the same position without putting weight on her arms at all. She didn't even seem to feel the strain on her abdominal muscles and her legs.

 _I have never appreciated her athletic build more than I am right now..._ Toru's face flushed. The locker room had always made it obvious just how toned her body was, how strong her muscles were, but seeing it from that perspective and experiencing it up close were completely different.

"I can feel how warm your cheeks are getting," Mina informed her with another grin. Her thumbs gently brushed over the corners of Toru's mouth, finding where her lips were. "One thing?"

"Yeah?" Toru's voice was breathy and weak. Mina smirked at it but soon turned sheepish, blushing.

"Don't laugh if I miss."

Then she was leaning down, pausing for a brief moment (presumably trying to feel Toru's breath against her lips to make sure she was in the exact right place) before she closed her eyes. Toru's own eyes fluttered shut as well. Her body trembled with anticipation as her heartbeat pounded in her ears...

Mina definitely didn't miss.

Toru gasped as soft lips captured her own. Mina placed one hand on the bed beside her head to better support herself so she could press closer without risk of falling, the other hand still cupping Toru's cheek but not getting in the way of the kiss. Toru wrapped one arm around Mina's waist and wound the fingers of her other hand in her hair. Her girlfriend was gentle, slowly easing Toru into it instead of putting in too much energy too fast.

Toru had been kissed before, but never like this. It had always been clumsy and uncertain, too fast and hard, overwhelming her. Kissing Mina wasn't anything like that. She was confident and her affections were tender, attuned to Toru's reactions. At the slightest flinch or tensed-up muscles, Mina slowed down, letting Toru set their pace even though she was the one taking the lead. It was give-and-take, with neither of them taking power over the other, and Toru loved it. Mina was easily deepening the kiss but keeping it as chaste as it had been at the start. It overflowed with passion, trust, and all the undeniable intimacy cultivated by studying together, fighting side-by-side, bonding as friends, and exposing the dark corners of their hearts to each other. Toru felt warm and safe, happiness bubbling in her veins.

 _Is that...cotton candy lip gloss?_ she realized when she recognized the flavor on her lips. _Mina uses cotton candy lip gloss. So sweet...but I really need to breathe...!_ Toru reluctantly tugged on Mina's hair and her girlfriend got the message, pulling back and grinning. She was just as out of breath as Toru.

"You...taste like cotton candy..." Toru managed to say. "It's sweet...I like it."

"Good, because something tells me you're gonna be tasting a lot of it," Mina replied when she caught her own breath.

"Well I certainly hope so," Toru agreed. Mina laughed and Toru pulled her back down for another kiss.

* * *

"Sometimes I literally don't see anything coming, and it's really awesome! It gets my adrenaline going when I have no idea what's gonna happen next!" Mina said when Eijiro asked her if it was hard to date someone she couldn't see.

"Sometimes she tries to do something but misses. She gets really embarrassed, which is so adorable!" Toru told Mashirao when she gushed to him about her girlfriend.

"Leave us alone or you'll get castrated by acid," they both growled at Mineta when he got a nosebleed and begged them to let him film a kiss.

"We're not there yet, we don't need this!" they both cried when Midnight sat them down for The Talk and forced them through worksheets and diagrams about safety, consent, and methods she'd contrived specifically for them.

"I think I'm in love with you," Mina confessed shyly when they were sharing cotton candy under the stars on their one-month anniversary.

"I think I'm in love with you too," Toru replied when she recovered from the shock of Mina's words, making her giggle wildly by covering her face and neck in light kisses.

"You're beautiful," Toru assured Mina when she relapsed, holding her close and kissing away her tears every time it happened.

"You're the beautiful one," Mina countered when her sobs finally stopped and she caught her breath, and even though Toru always remembered the ever-growing collection of art Mina drew of how she imagined her, she knew her girlfriend meant she was beautiful as a person: the truest form of beauty.

" _We're_ beautiful," Toru promised when Mina tried to deny her own beauty while insisting on Toru's.

And because of each other, they both knew in their hearts that it was the truth.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **I usually use first names for 1-A students in narration but Mineta is an exception because he's a total pervert and basically the worst.**

 **Thanks for reading! Please leave kudos, and as always, comments are welcome. This idea has been consuming my mind for several days and I'm so glad it's completed and posted. I hope you liked it! :3**


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